University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
7-7,1-2Big Sout
Charleston Southern
7-9,1-3Big Sout
Thorpe’s Double-Double; Final Bucket Lead Bulldogs to First Conference Victory
01.11.2020 | Men's Basketball
CHARLESTON, S.C. – It just seemed like the breakthrough was right around the corner for UNC Asheville's men's basketball team.
After a month that featured the Bulldogs on the sour end of some nail-biting outcomes – including a pair of two-point defeats to begin Big South Conference play – it was only fitting the Bulldogs emerged victorious by a two-point margin, 71-69, at Charleston Southern for their first win in league play this season.
With 0:36 remaining in the game and the Bulldogs (7-7, 1-2 Big South) holding a narrow 69-67 margin, Charleston Southern's Phlandrous Fleming Jr. went up for a layup that Tajion Jones got a piece of, allowing the Bulldogs to take possession.
The Dogs ran the offense, taking valuable seconds off the clock. After working the ball around the 3-point arc, Thorpe made a strong move to the basket, finishing with a clutch right-handed layup to put the Bulldogs up 71-67 with just nine seconds remaining.
The Buccaneers (7-9, 1-3 Big South) were able to quickly move the ball down the floor, and Fleming drew a foul with five seconds left. He sunk both of his free throws to cut the margin to two points. The Bucs fouled DeVon Baker on the inbounds, but Asheville's leading scorer in the game missed the front end of a one-and-one, so the Bulldogs were forced to quickly transition to defense.
Fleming got the ball and pushed it ahead to Deontaye Buskey, but Cody Jude was able to stay in front of the CSU guard and force a rushed shot that didn't hit the rim
Thorpe finished the game with 16 points and tied his career-high with 10 rebounds for his second-career double-double. Thorpe also led the team and tied his career-high with six assists.
Baker finished as the team's leading scorer for the fifth time this season, pouring in 17 points to go along with five rebounds. Lavar Batts, Jr. scored 14 points and notched five steals while Tajion Jones added 13 points and six rebounds.
The Bulldogs took a 44-35 lead into halftime, with Baker, Batts and Jones all scoring in double-figures in the first half. The Bucs chipped away at the lead in the second half, but took the lead just one time, 61-59, with 8:17 remaining in the game.
Batts converted on a layup on the following possession to tie the game, and Baker followed that up by drilling a corner three to put the Bulldogs up for good at the 5:17 mark in the game.
NOTABLY
· Redshirt sophomore LJ Thorpe finished the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds for his second-career double-double, with his first coming December 14 against UT Martin. He is the only player on the current roster to record a double-double in his career.
· Thorpe's 10 rebounds also tied his career-high, which he set against UT Martin. He is now the only player on the roster with multiple double-digit rebound games in his career (Stephen Edoka has one, in last season's opening victory against Brevard).
· Thorpe also led the team in assists, tying his career-best with six. He previously had six assists last season at home against Gardner-Webb, February 21, 2019.
· Lavar Batts, Jr. recorded five steals for the second time this season and the first since he had five steals against Tennessee in the season opener. He is the only player on the roster with multiple five-steal games in his career.
· The Bulldogs forced Charleston Southern into 15 turnovers while only turning it over seven times themselves. The Bulldogs have not turned the ball over more than their opponent in any game this season.
· The seven turnovers are tied for the fewest this season by the Bulldogs, a feat they accomplished against UT Martin. It is the fourth time this season they have finished with fewer than 10 turnovers in a game, and the first time they have accomplished the feat on the road. They are 4-0 in those games.
· Redshirt sophomore Tajion Jones scored 13 points in the contest. Since being held scoreless in the season opener against Tennessee, he has not scored fewer than 12 points in any game and leads the team with 13 double-digit scoring efforts.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs return to Big South action inside Kimmel Arena when they take on High Point in a 6 p.m. contest, Thursday, January 16.
FROM THE MIND OF MORRELL
"It's not about getting the first (Big South victory) or anything like that. Our guys have made a tremendous commitment to be better around crunch-time – in winning-time, like we say – and we have this thing called "Stop or Not" and either you get the stop or you don't. That came tonight: either you get a stop or you don't. To be on the other end of it is everything for us, and I'm just proud of these guys. I know it's a very satisfying game for them – satisfying for everybody. Everybody wants instant gratification, and we've not really gotten that in terms of the last three games with how close we've been, so to have those guys get that gratification with the result they want is big for us." - Head Coach Mike Morrell
